Bitcoin Faces Critical Resistance: Chart Paths to Potential Retreat

Bitcoin's price action is hitting a wall—a critical resistance level that could define its next major move. The charts are flashing signals that every trader needs to watch.

The Technical Standoff

Momentum is stalling at a key juncture. Analysts are glued to their screens, tracing potential paths where the rally could lose steam and reverse. It's not about if, but where and when support might crack.

Mapping the Retreat

Several chart patterns point toward a potential pullback. The formation suggests a classic battle between bulls holding the line and bears waiting to pounce on any weakness. Volume trends and moving averages are lining up to tell a cautionary tale.

The Bull Case Under Pressure

Even the most optimistic hodlers are watching these levels. A failure to break through doesn't mean the long-term thesis is broken—just that the market needs a breather. Or, as some cynical fund managers might say, 'another opportunity to buy the dip with other people's money.'

The next few candles will be crucial. Either Bitcoin gathers strength for another assault on higher ground, or it takes the charted path toward a tactical retreat.

Bitcoin’s price faced a compression structure that analyst Michaël van de Poppe identified as a vital defense line separating the market from a deeper correction. The largest cryptocurrency has struggled to surpass the $90,000 resistance following recent losses. In a post dated December 6, Poppe asserted that failing to regain the $92,000 level could lead to a sharp decline toward the $80,000 range.

Crucial Zone: The $92,000 Threshold

According to Poppe, Bitcoin’s movement in the $86,000–$92,000 range indicates indecision. The analyst emphasized this area as mere noise with the market lacking clear direction. He noted liquidity had been swept from previous peaks and suggested upward liquidity could only be accessible if bulls regained control.

In technical terms, the $100,700 level stands out as a formidable resistance band, while the area around $89,300 emerges as a critical pivot point. Poppe suggests that slipping below this level could accelerate selling. If Bitcoin fails to revisit $92,000, the price could decline to the $80,000–$82,000 range. Support layers in the $80,900–$76,600 band could potentially form the base of a double bottom formation.

Weak Technical Picture Amid Fed Expectations

As bitcoin investors await signals on 2026 monetary policy from the Federal Reserve, the market remains stagnant. During the article’s preparation, Bitcoin was trading at $89,808, representing a 0.5% drop over 24 hours and a 2.2% drop over the week.

Technical indicators show BTC trading below its 50-day average of $100,131 and 200-day average of $103,640, continuing the long-term downtrend. The 14-day RSI is at 43.04, indicating a lack of strong short-term directional signals. Despite the current decline, Poppe suggests the market might be approaching a bottom area, and a robust response from lower supports could trigger a new rally in the first quarter of 2026.